News

A retired Chillicothe Police Department sergeant, John Valbracht enjoys restoring old vehicles. But when John, 70, was alone working on an old trailer, a routine task turned dangerous.  

"It was a nice day, and my goal was to put a new tongue and fuel tank on this trailer, but when the tongue broke off in my hand, it changed my plans," John says.  

John was unloading an old trailer he’d hauled home on another trailer when the weight shifted unexpectedly at the top of the ramp.  

Jesus Renteria is a 47-year husband and father, and owner of a successful taco truck business in Kansas City. One afternoon Jesus had finished serving lunch and returned home. That’s when his stroke came without previous warning: the worst headache Jesus had ever experienced. It spread through his whole head, and Jesus felt dizzy.

“My whole life I’ve been very healthy, so I had never been to a hospital. However, this was so painful I asked my wife to take me to the ER,” said Renteria.

Just before his 60th birthday, Joe VonHolt was lunching with his wife, Bev, when he had a bout of what he thought was indigestion. The retired mechanic had suffered from acid reflux for 20 years, but the pain in his chest was getting worse. It used to occur only when he exerted himself. Now it was nearly constant. The two prescriptions and nearly 30 antacids he took daily weren’t helping.

Two hospitals in Saint Luke’s Health System are recognized on U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals rankings for 2013-14, released today. The rankings, now in their 24th year, recognize hospitals that excel in treating the most challenging patients.